Anyone playing G430 irons?

[jas904]

So here’s my story. 35 year golfer, always been around 0-2 handicap. My index has progressively risen the last 6 months and I’m now a 6. Father time is kicking my butt and my body is failing, back, elbows, shoulders. Graphite everything is mandatory. 
 

Last 4 iron sets have been:

Srixon z765 (loved)

Srixon zx7 (so so)

2021 T100 (good until they weren’t anymore)

PXG 0317T (fine not great)

 

When I swing a club now I look like I’m being attacked by a dog. My mind writes checks my body can’t cash. The biggest weakness in my game is hitting greens. Combined with the defense of my course, super small heavily bunkered greens, it isn’t a good combination. 
 

For some reason, back when I was good, I always did better with thinner soled irons. Yesterday, out of pure desperation I took my ex-college golfer daughter’s clubs out. 2016 Ping G with stock CFS 80 graphite stiff. They look ginormous and seemed a little light, I really had to pay attention to tempo, but holy crap they were good. Crappy swings didn’t result in the ball going as far offline as I’m used to and heavy shots resulted in very little distance loss.  I thought, incorrectly, that the wide soles would be a problem. Especially now because our fairways are firm and fast as they lowered height of cut to prepare for rye to bermuda transition. It turns out that the wide soles I feel may help on heavy shots and actually gave me a bit of confidence to go down after the shot. 
 

The Ping rep will be at my club in a few weeks and now I can’t help but think

that G430 irons with the right shaft might be the end to my suffering, or at least prolong it again. So all of this to ask, any low single digit, average swing speed golfers out there playing the G430 irons? What have your experiences been like?

[JAM01]

I worked my way down to about an 8. Had the G430s with the 45 gram Alta Quick. I found the shaft to be nice for its light weight, high launching but not a noodle. My swing speed is on the lower end though. Full disclosure, I did move on. I like the chunky irons for some reason. Might check out the G730s later in the season. 

[jjfcpa]

I don't have your handicap, but at 76 years old, I can relate to trying to playing within the bounds of what my body can take.

 

I have a set of the G430 HL's which are their lightweight option.  I kind of wish I would have gone with the G430 with just the lightweight shaft because I'm not sure the HL is performing any differently than the standard G430.

 

One other club that I think you should try is the Callaway AI Smoke HL irons.  I think they will give you a little more bang for your buck without costing as much.  I'm currently playing the Titleist T350's and they are very good with the stock senior graphite shaft.  I think the AI Smoke might be just as good and perhaps a little easier on the body.

 

Ping makes a great set of irons and if I had to rate these 3 I'd still give the nod to the T350's based on distance, then the AI Smoke HL based on looks, then the G430, but perhaps a fitting will determine what's best for you.

[Golfdoctor]

I play the G425's and probably will move on to the i230's.  I'll be 70 soon and play the senior graphite shaft. I hear a lot about the T350's and played the 718's and T300's but moved on to Ping's. I've been carrying a Ping i200 7 iron bent to 30 degree loft with a Nippon NS Pro 950gh which I hit very well (145-150). I plan on seeing how it goes this spring and decide then if i'm changing my bag. Good luck on the G430's.

 

 

 

[PARETO]

G430 irons are legit at any age or handicap. TXG did a great review on them showing what a super low cap can do with them. Check the YTube for it. 
It’s the iron Ping would sell if we all had to play the same stuff. G series have gotten slimmer over the years and at set up, they look quite nice. Rolled top line, not old school Ping offset and a decent blade length. Get fitted for the right shaft and go enjoy the game. I’m a G fan for anyone’s bag. 

[skraly]

Not specific to the 430's, but, Lee Westwood played Zing2's for years and they were Pings top game improvement clubs at the time.  So there's no reason the 430's can't work for you.

[stonewolf]

I actually did a fitting at Kierland today and came back thoroughly confused. 
 

I’m a 4 handicap. Driver swing speed is 115ish. Irons are the strongest part of my game. I hit my Edel SMS 7 iron 185, and I’ve got the Paderson Ballistic 110g shafts in them at +2”. 
 

I’m looking for new irons because I just moved back to Scottsdale and the desert is going to destroy my forged irons. I want cast, and because I’m a good ball striker I figured I wanted the i230. 
 

I hit the 230s really well. The 7 iron was carrying 200 on good strikes. 195 on mediocre strikes. Only shaft he had at +2” was the MMT 95 in Stiff flex. 

I don’t know why, but I asked if it was worth hitting the G430s. He said if I was open to the thicker top line I absolutely should. Solid strikes were carrying 210. When I went after it they went 220. All of them with a slight baby fade. Not a single one went left. 
 

Because I’m an idiot I didn’t look at the backspin #s on any of the G430 swings. I fell in love with how high they launched and how straight they were. So I’m left wondering if these will stop when they land on the green, or would I be better off sacrificing a little bit of the forgiveness with the i230 in exchange for better stopping power?

 

Maybe I’ll get a combo set of the 2…

 

Regardless, I was really impressed. 

 

 

[leegee38]

42 minutes ago, stonewolf said:

 

Because I’m an idiot I didn’t look at the backspin #s on any of the G430 swings. I fell in love with how high they launched and how straight they were. So I’m left wondering if these will stop when they land on the green, or would I be better off sacrificing a little bit of the forgiveness with the i230 in exchange for better stopping power?

With your club head speed I'm pretty confident the descent angle will be high enough to stop them.  And FWIW the G430 spins a bit more than most comparable GI irons.  If the wide soles don't bother you I think you will love them.

[stonewolf]

Thank you!  I was hoping this was the answer. He did mention the descent angle was 39*, but I’m not smart enough to know what that means in the real world. 
 

I’ll probably order them with the retro lofts which will launch them a little higher with a little more spin.  Worst case scenario I could order the 8-w in the i230s if I don’t love them. 

[ClarkGrswld4]

i have a set arriving today, im very excited for them!

[Gsea]

Got fitted into the 430s last year, graphite shafts. They are a FREAKING CHEAT code. Prior I played Mizuno muscle backs for 20 yrs TT stiff shafts. +- 5 hdcp now a solid traveling 5 with some pretty low rounds thrown in. Went to the fitting not even with Pings on the radar. The dispersion is sick. Best golf decision in 20 yrs lol. I actually like the sole and top look doesn't seem like shovels to me and the sound is nice not hard or clicky. Just because i'm stupid might look at the blueprint S in the 8- W to combo.

[Puffdaddyshrimp]

I picked up the g430s end of last year. 4-W with modus 105Rs. Irons ss mid 70s-low 80s. They launch perfectly and even the 4 iron holds the green with a one hop and short roll. I’m sold on them and will keep them around for awhile. The lofts is really the only thing that bothers me. A 41 degree Wedge is crazy.

[stonewolf]

1 hour ago, Puffdaddyshrimp said:

I picked up the g430s end of last year. 4-W with modus 105Rs. Irons ss mid 70s-low 80s. They launch perfectly and even the 4 iron holds the green with a one hop and short roll. I’m sold on them and will keep them around for awhile. The lofts is really the only thing that bothers me. A 41 degree Wedge is crazy.

I'm going to order them.

 

My bag will be driver, 5 wood, 4-9 and 5 Wedges.

 

I couldn't believe how solid they felt for a cast club.  The last few swings w/ the G430 the fitter was laughing at me because  the balls all landed within a couple feet of one another...210 yards away.

[Puffdaddyshrimp]

1 hour ago, stonewolf said:

I'm going to order them.

 

My bag will be driver, 5 wood, 4-9 and 5 Wedges.

 

I couldn't believe how solid they felt for a cast club.  The last few swings w/ the G430 the fitter was laughing at me because  the balls all landed within a couple feet of one another...210 yards away.

You won’t regret it! 

[ZipinZ]

Got 81 rounds in with them, got them last year while in Palm Springs, my cap went down 3 points, I'm 68 and not getting any younger, best set of irons I ever owned.

 

Posted the following review ....  enjoy, Cheers David

 

 

Edited March 12 by ZipinZ

[BCULAW]

This is the type of thread that kills me!  I have been a long time fan of the Ping G series, but love blades and forged CBs too much to keep the GI clubs in the bag very long. I am amazed every time I hit them how much easier they are to play. I really should invest a year playing them and see if they really make a difference. 

[Puffdaddyshrimp]

29 minutes ago, BCULAW said:

This is the type of thread that kills me!  I have been a long time fan of the Ping G series, but love blades and forged CBs too much to keep the GI clubs in the bag very long. I am amazed every time I hit them how much easier they are to play. I really should invest a year playing them and see if they really make a difference. 

I played sub70 639cbs and Nike vapor pros before switching to GI irons. I’m not a great irons player either but I’m glad I’ve switched.

[Nessism]

Come one, come all, and join the G-men club!  Look up the thread, and get ready to be amazed!

 

I've told this story several times here, but it seems appropriate to repeat once again...

 

I've been a single digit handicapper going back to 1985.  Never near scratch, but for decades I hovered in the low 80's, high 70's.  And I played blades through my first 15 years.  Eventually, I move to players cavities, and hoe'ed my way through more sets than I can remember.  Like most, family time, and other hobbies, cut into golf practice time, and the small forged clubs became more of a struggle than they used to be.

 

One evening, drinking some beers, and surfing eBay, and before I knew it, I bought a set of Ping G10 irons.

 

First time out with the irons at the range, and I was floored; they were just stupid easy to hit.  High, straight, consistent.  I couldn't miss.  This was more than a decade back now, and I'm still stuck on the G's.  

 

The lofts of the G430's offend my sensibilities, but I'm sure they are great irons for guys without my loft bias.  There are lots of low mileage 425 sets on ebay, too.  Those are what I've settled on these days.  Still available for order new, I think. 

Ya can't go wrong with the G's!

[Lobby]

A 35 year old who used to be a 2 handicapper?  
 

The problem isn’t clubs. 
 

it’s physical. Consider flexibility and strength training. 
 

Stay off YouTube. 

[hook_or_slice]

3 minutes ago, Lobby said:

A 35 year old who used to be a 2 handicapper?  
 

The problem isn’t clubs. 
 

it’s physical. Consider flexibility and strength training. 
 

Stay off YouTube. 

 

He didn't say he was 35yo, he said 35 year player, meaning he's been playing golf for 35 years.

[jas904]

1 hour ago, hook_or_slice said:

 

He didn't say he was 35yo, he said 35 year player, meaning he's been playing golf for 35 years.

Correct. I’m 50 now, nearing the end of a now 27 year long physically demanding career, have had three shoulder surgeries, and a back that needs surgery. I’ve consistently played 3-4 times per week, 12 months a year, for the past 15 years, walking 80% of the time. Lately, I’ve cut down to 2-3 times per week because it’s no fun for me to go out there and shoot 80. 
 

Thank you to everyone for your thoughts. I can’t wait for the Ping rep to come to my club in a few weeks so I can give them a shot. 
 

As far as the crazy lofts, it doesn’t bother me. I’ll test gapping but at this point I could go 3-5 hybrids, G430 7-50° wedge. As far as I’m concerned the 7 is a six iron and so on down. A G430 7 iron may be a little short in length compared to a standard 6 iron, but I believe the distance gaps will line up okay. I could be wrong so I’ll test and find out. 
 

I don’t play competitively, I don’t even play in my club championship. My club is filled with young studs who have plus indexes. I just want to get back down to near scratch again and quit losing to my buddies. 
 

As they say, Father Time is undefeated, but I would like to slow down the clock a bit. 

[PersimmonEra]

I'm 52 and switched to the G430 with regular flex graphite shafts in February. Previously I gamed Ben Hogan Ptx irons for 8 years. The last 3 years my handicap kept creeping up. My back and joints ached badly after every round. Back and joint pain has disappeared after making the switch. I did not expect these to rival the green stopping and accuracy of the Ben Hogan (players forged iron) but they do to my surprise. My handicap is heading back down. The wider sole and thicker top line initially bothered me but the results I'm achieving quickly erased those thoughts.

[Lobby]

Sorry about the error on your age

 

i hadn’t lost much distance when I reached 50. But by age 65 I was a disaster. 
 

There’s no solution. You can only attempt to mitigate.  I go to the gym regularly, trying to find that one stretch, that one exercise that will make you swing like in days past. 
 

but you never find it. 
 

I play with G430 irons. They help a little. My big learning is to not get too down on myself when I’m having a bad day. 
 

remember, at our age the problem isn’t technique, it’s physical 

[Gsea]

11 hours ago, jas904 said:

As far as I’m concerned the 7 is a six iron and so on down. A G430 7 iron may be a little short in length compared to a standard 6 iron, but I believe the distance gaps will line up okay. I could be wrong so I’ll test and find out. 

100%. Enjoy the new Pings when you order them and you will:)

[eric61]

I continue to feel the pull toward G430 irons … every time I hit them I’m just so impressed that they spin so much more than other game improvement irons, and Ping now offering Axioms as an upcharge shaft option is a huge bonus.
 

For the folks playing them — anybody going with the G430 41 degree PW, and then a 46/52/58 specialty wedge setup? Or try doing so, at least? 
 

I suck at most things in golf, but one thing I’m half-decent at is “seeing” or “feeling” distance on partial wedge shots. Pretty comfortable with 52/58 to cover everything 110 and in, and I also love chipping with a 46-ish degree PW when there’s room for some runout, but wondering if just a 46 between that 41 degree PW and a 52 is too big a gap on full shots.

[PersimmonEra]

3 hours ago, eric61 said:

I continue to feel the pull toward G430 irons … every time I hit them I’m just so impressed that they spin so much more than other game improvement irons, and Ping now offering Axioms as an upcharge shaft option is a huge bonus.
 

For the folks playing them — anybody going with the G430 41 degree PW, and then a 46/52/58 specialty wedge setup? Or try doing so, at least? 
 

I suck at most things in golf, but one thing I’m half-decent at is “seeing” or “feeling” distance on partial wedge shots. Pretty comfortable with 52/58 to cover everything 110 and in, and I also love chipping with a 46-ish degree PW when there’s room for some runout, but wondering if just a 46 between that 41 degree PW and a 52 is too big a gap on full shots.

I'm using the G430 45 degree and then 50 degree Cleveland Zipcore Wedge. For me the gap is about 20 yards between them.

Edited March 13 by PersimmonEra
However I take full swings with the 45 degree and only 3/4 with 50 degree.

[black bnr32]

The best part of these irons is the 4 degree gaps in the short irons.  So people with some 100mph+ swing speeds still have reasonable yardage gaps in the short irons.  Everything else in the category uses 5 degree gaps which is like 15 yards between a 9 iron and PW.  It’s maddening on the course, for me anyways.

[bluetrane]

Anyone opt for a 5-9 setup with more specialized wedges on the bottom end of the bag? I always found game improvement wedges to be a little too chunky and not versatile enough.

[stonewolf]

8 minutes ago, bluetrane said:

Anyone opt for a 5-9 setup with more specialized wedges on the bottom end of the bag? I always found game improvement wedges to be a little too chunky and not versatile enough.

I mentioned this to the Ping fitter on Monday, thinking I might be better off getting the 46 and 50 in the S159 wedge.  He suggested I get the G430 because I will likely take more full swings with those 2 than with the other wedges. 
 

I’m going to order the G wedges and if I think they’re too inconsistent I’ll get the S159s. 

[T_leif]

I went 6i-50 deg. with my G430s, will most likely get the 54 too. I really like the 50 so…